We are well into summer and days at the pool, beach and playing in the sprinklers are almost a weekly (if not daily) occurrence. I have a fun and super easy tutorial for you today to showcase all those amazing Raspberry Creek designs. For these two, I used the Mint Geometric Waves print from the Spring ‘23 Club collection and a retired RCF print from my stash.

My kids love a hooded towel for the pools and beach. It’s a great way for them to warm up after swimming without trying to hold a towel over their shoulders. It leaves them hands-free so they can grab a snack or dig in the sand all while staying covered up. I decided to create a customized one with my favorite RCF fabric, cotton spandex French terry . I love how this shows off the fabric prints. It is large enough that you don’t cut through all those adorable designs. 

All you need for this project is a 2-yard cut of Raspberry Creek French Terry and the neckline of your favorite hoodie pattern. I like to use one that has an oversized neckline and larger hood or you can simply size up a few sizes so it can be loosely worn. For this tutorial, I used the Hatteras Hoodie pattern by Hey June Handmade because it has a great v-neck element that helps with easy on-and-off.

You’ll start by cutting and hemming all the sides of a large rectangle, your towel. For my 11-year-old I cut a 31” x 64” rectangle and for my 6 year old I cut it at 28” x 56”. This measurement is up to you on how loose or long you would like it on your child. Keep in mind that since the French Terry has spandex in it, it will grow when wet making it heavy and large. So, don’t go too oversized. I hemmed both of the towels with single-fold 1/2” side hems and 2” bottom hems.

Once you have the hems finished, fold it in quarters to find the center and mark it with a pin or marking pencil. Next, lay the fabric out on your cutting mat folded in half lengthwise. Starting at your marking, draw a center line toward the sides about halfway. This will be your assumed “shoulder seam”. 

Next, take your front and back neckline pattern pieces and on the shoulders draw a line marking where that shoulder seam allowance would be (most likely your pattern uses 1/4” or 3/8”). Cut one of the seam allowances off then align that cut edge with the line drawn on the other shoulder and tape them together. This basically removes that allotted seam allowance and appears as if you’d sewn the shoulder seams together. 

Now, align the front pattern piece at the center front folded edge and the shoulder seam with the line you drew earlier. Trace the front neckline onto your fabric. 

Next, keep your shoulder seam and the drawn line aligned and pivot the pattern piece to align your back piece with back center folded edge. Now trace the back, completing your full neckline.

Cut out the center hole. Now you can finish the towel by sewing in your hood according to your pattern instructions.

I hope you all love this tutorial as much as we do and that you enjoy using this cover up for many more play days this summer. 

Hi all! I have a really fun tutorial to share today that can work with any of your favorite hoodie or t-shirt patterns. I originally made one of these for my oldest son for the release of the Spring prints. We both loved the result so much that I thought I would share how I achieved it.

My kids received sweatshirts like this as a gift last year and since then, we’ve noticed them everywhere. The double pocket is creative, handy and adds new interest to a plain sweatshirt. My kids have used the zipper pocket  for hiding snacks, trading cards, and even gaming controllers. They love that it is large and secure with the zipper while still leaving another pocket open for their hands. For this one, I used the Sage Green Large Checker print in French Terry and the Deep Sage solid French Terry for cuffs and hoodie lining. I think the print is absolutely perfect for this hoodie style.

Let’s get started, shall we? Here are some additional items you will need to add a zipper pocket to your pattern of choice::

-Your favorite hoodie’s front pattern piece (I am using the Switch Crew Sweater by Misusu)

-A sports zipper at least as long as your desired pocket opening. It can be longer and you can cut the remainder off after installing. I like it  just a tad shorter than the top of my kangaroo pocket.

-Extra knit fabric for the inside pocket lining. While I have used French Terry for this one, it is much less bulky to use the cotton spandex jersey. 

-Interfacing

We will  start by slashing the pattern piece as if we were going to color block it horizontally across the ribs. If you will be using a kangaroo pocket as well, lay out your pattern pieces and measure how tall and wide the top of the kangaroo pocket is. You will want your color block seam at least an inch or so above the top of the finished kangaroo pocket. I like to draw the line directly onto my pattern piece and then mark a line above and below for the seam allowances (I’ll be using 3/8”). Then, when cutting my fabric, I can just fold the pattern piece at each line. You will have a top piece and a bottom piece each with an added 3/8” seam allowance where they join.

Cut 2 pocket lining pieces the same height as your main bottom pattern piece, but bring in the sides to reduce bulk in the side seams. I trimmed off about 1 1/2” from each side. 

The measuring & math for your zipper get  a little confusing here. I’ll try to simplify it as much as I can, but I also want to show you how I got each measurement in case your zippers are larger or smaller than what I used. These are my formulas for deciding the sizes of my interfacing and two templates for the zipper opening. Stay with me here, lol! 

Interfacing width: If you have a 3/8” seam allowance at the top of your pattern piece, you want a 1/2” opening for the zipper to peek through and use a 1/4” seam allowance around your zipper, you would want a piece of interfacing at least 1 3/8” wide.

Interfacing length: Length would be the length of your zipper including the stopper (mine was 8”), plus 1”. This gives you 1/4” seam allowances and a margin on each side.

So, my interfacing pieces are 1 3/8” x 9”. Cut 2 of these.

Next, we need to make some templates to trace onto the back of our interfacing, the math is as follows:

Template #1 width: 3/8” top seam allowance plus 1/2” opening

Template #1 length: zipper length (8”) plus a 1/4” seam allowance on each side = 8 1/2”

So, my Template #1 is 7/8” x 8 1/2”. Cut this out of something sturdy like cardstock so it is easy to trace onto your interfacing.

Template #2 is just used to cut away some excess fabric before preparing the zipper opening. It is just Template #1 minus the 1/4” seam allowances on the bottom and sides. So, Template #2 is 5/8” x 7 1/2”

Okay. Phew! Now that we have all the math and cutting finished, let’s begin sewing. Grab your bottom main fabric piece and one of your pocket lining pieces. Center your interfacing pieces to the top wrong side of each one and iron on. Next, trace Template #1 onto the wrong side of your interfacing, aligning the top center. On both pieces, sew a stay-stitch directly onto the markings pivoting at the corners. 

Trace Template #2 onto the interfacing aligning top centers. This is your cut line. Cut out this rectangle. It should be 1/4” inside your sewing lines. On the bottom corners, clip a small diagonal line out to your sewn corners, making sure not to cut through the thread. Now you can fold under the seam allowances using your stitches as the folding guides. This is the opening for your zipper.

Lay your zipper right side up and then lay your main fabric on top of it centering and aligning along the bottom of your opening. Remember that you will be using a 3/8” seam allowance along the top of the zipper when you attach the top front piece. I like to baste around the sides and bottom of the opening here to keep things looking nice on the front. Next, lay the pocket lining piece on the back, wrong sides together, sandwiching the zipper between them. Take extra time pinning and carefully top stitch the sides and bottom of the zipper catching all pieces together. Using a glue stick to hold everything in place can be very helpful here.

Yay! The hardest and most tedious part is all done! Place your bottom piece with the main side down and lining facing up, lay your second pocket lining piece on top, right sides together and serge or sew down the sides of just the pocket linings.

Next, lay your top front main on top of your bottom piece/zipper. Sew this with a 3/8” seam allowance catching the tops of the zipper and pocket linings. Press the seam allowance up and top-stitch across the bodice.

Now, if you’re adding a kangaroo pocket, follow your pattern’s directions making sure to lift the pocket linings up and out of the way. Once you finish the kangaroo pocket, assemble the hoodie or tee as instructed. 

The final thing you will want to make note of is to catch the bottom edge of the pocket linings into your bottom band or hem.

Tadah! You now have a new really cool hoodie that I hope you and your kids love! Please tag me if you make one. I would love to see how everyone personalizes this.

Hello again! I hope you all are having a lovely winter and a wonderful holiday season! Today I am sharing a project that will keep you cozy, warm but also dressed-up and fashionable. I used Raspberry Creek’s spongy-soft Tartan Wool to make an on-trend wrap skirt. The skirt is a classic look and can go from work to winter events effortlessly. 

I had so many ideas for the Tartan Plaid Wool. It actually took me longer to decide what pattern to use than it did to sew up this skirt. I considered a boxy blazer, some rolled-hem shorts and a fitted dress. The Agave Skirt by Deer & Doe won out this time though. I love the offset hem and the A-line silhouette. I live in a warmer climate, but still enjoy wearing seasonal clothing and colors. This shorter skirt is a perfect compromise. In colder areas though, it would be darling with tights and a dressy coat. 

The Agave Skirt pattern does call for a light to mid-weight woven, so with this heavier wool, I really made sure to reduce the bulk in all seam allowances and corners. I also made sure to hammer down bulky seams with my rubber mallet. This can help a lot when running thick seams under your presser foot. There is no way my buttonholes would have turned out had I not hammered down all the seams around them.

The pattern also calls for hand stitching the hem facing to make it invisible from the front. Since I almost always refuse to hand-stitch, I found that my machine’s blind hem setting worked amazingly. If you have not tried this stitch on your regular machine, you should definitely give it a try. I have saved many dress-pant hems with this nifty little setting. It is quite amazing and it works beautifully with this heavy wool. You can’t see the stitching from the right side at all but the facing is completely attached on the inside.

The last touch I added to my Agave Skirt was to cut the waistband on the bias. I can never pass up an opportunity to add a little bias plaid to a project. Since the waistband is an area that needs to hold its original shape, I made sure to add a woven interfacing as well as a strong woven lining fabric so it won’t stretch out of shape the more it is worn.

I love this wool so much! The back side is brushed, which makes it feel like a squishy, warm fleece inside your garment. This was my first time sewing with this particular wool and I cannot believe it took me this long. It was very easy to sew with, it didn’t fray at all when shifting around my pattern pieces and it has enough structure that I rarely needed pins or clips. I absolutely plan to finish off my list of wool project ideas after this. This fabric was an absolute delight to sew with and I highly recommend giving it a try this winter.

Happy Fall, y’all! In anticipation of Halloween, I am sharing one my kids’ favorite patterns. I have been making these superhero pj’s for years now and they just never get old. In fact, I would argue they get more and more fun to make with each new set. 

I have 3 boys and they are huge superhero fans. They’ve always loved playing with costumes and dressing the part. One day while shopping, we passed by an overpriced t-shirt with an attached cape. It hit me, “why have I never thought to add a cape to their pj’s?”

I looked to my tried-and-true Movie Night Pajamas pattern from Sew a Little Seam and simply added a self-drafted velcro cape behind the shoulder seams.

The best part about these costume pajamas is that the sky is the limit! You can embellish them and change the colors for any personalization you like. And, once you’ve made a set, the capes are interchangeable, so you could really have one for each day of the week. Always at the ready for fighting crimes, pretending to fly through the air or rescuing someone in need.

While I have used licensed prints, custom vinyl decorations and even store-bought accessories before, I stuck with Raspberry Creek’s fabulous solid jersey in the 3 primary colors for this set. I felt like this would be a good base for any additions he might add from his toy box. He did ask me where the “lightening bolt” would go though, so I guess we’ll be adding that this week, lol.

Starting with the pants, I color blocked from the shin-down with a slight curvature on the front to replicate a superhero’s boots. I emphasized that curve by adding a touch of mustard piping. I know this may affect the stretch here, but I don’t think he’ll care much. I also added a straight-cut color block of royal blue below the elbow to replicate the look of gloves. I matched the piping here as well.

For the cape pattern, I traced the neckline and shoulder seams of the shirt pattern. When doing so, I removed the seam allowance for the neckline, but left the extra amount on the height of the shoulder seam so that I would have some excess to fold down behind the velcro pieces. I then sketched out the rest of the cape and added a 1” hem allowance.

Once I had the cape cut out, I used a small 3/8” hem on the sides, binding on the neckline and a curved 1” bottom hem. Then, I folded down the shoulder seams by about 3/8” and stitched a strip of velcro right on top. I added the same size velcro (soft side) to the back of the shirt. 

My 5 year old now has had more of these  sets  than we can remember, but he gets so excited for each new pair and this newest one is no exception. Not only are these a great pair of pajamas, but they would make the coziest halloween costume. I cant wait to see if someone else gives this one a try!

I am thrilled to join the Raspberry Creek’s Suit Up for Summer Blog tour again this year! I love RCF swim fabrics and this year’s new prints really set the vibe for summer. There isn’t a single print I couldn’t use for someone in our house. They’re all perfection!

I have big plans to start making loads of new suits for my family. We recently moved to Florida and the weather is consistently giving us 80* days. We are loving it, but my 3 kids are outgrowing and outwearing their suits very fast. It’s time for a restock! 

Before I share my suits, I wanted to brag a bit about RCF swim fabrics. Below is a photo of last year’s suits & rash guards I made for the tour. The second photo is from this week with absolutely no filter or editing! That is a year of water slides, beaches, and washings. (Don’t tell the perfect homemakers, but I also machine-wash and tumble-dry our suits.) Can you even believe this quality!? They look brand new! Those prints are still super vibrant!

Ok, now to the new prints!

For me

If you give me 74 prints, you can bet your last dollar that I will choose the navy blue and white ones every single time. And yes, there really are 74 prints in the new collection! I don’t know what it is, but the combination just calls to me. I love the contrast without it being as stark as black and white. It feels pulled-together and clean to me. Then, throw a palm-leaf design in there, and I didn’t stand a chance against this one. This Navy and White Tropical Leaf print is stunning. It feels upscale and classy to me and the fine details are amazing.

I have always loved the Take the Plunge Swimsuit Pattern by Patterns For Pirates, but never actually “taken the plunge” myself. See what I did there? Lol. Browse through the listing or the P4P Facebook group, and you’ll notice this suit looks fantastic on every single body. The shape is just so flattering. I can say that now after making one for myself, I love it even more. I was shocked at how happy I was with the results. It pulls in just where it needs to for a beautiful silhouette, has full coverage in the rear and keeps everything tucked in up top. I will absolutely make more of these this summer!

Adding to the great shape of this pattern, I used Power Net Lining (also available from RCF) in the belly panel. If you are new to swim or aren’t aware of this miracle fabric, it is amazing. Think DIY Spanx. Power Mesh or its stronger sister, Power Net, can be added in-between your main fabric and your lining for extra support or suck-in “power”. It has much less stretch than your lining and swim fabrics, so you don’t want to use it everywhere. But adding some to hard-to-control areas makes you feel like a super maker!

For Him

I chose the Navy and White Checker print for my son. I love that it coordinates with my suit while still reflecting his own playful style. I also used the solid Kelly Green Swim Knit to add a touch of brightness in the drawstring and binding of his tank top.

For his swimsuit, I used the Lowland Kids Surf Shorts pattern. I am really into a basic, looser fit swim trunk lately and this pattern fit the bill. I prefer the shorter length and wider leg at this age. Since this pattern doesn’t include a liner, I borrowed the briefs from the Lowland Kids Swim Boardies and they fit inside perfectly.

Whenever I sew suits for my kids, they always request the use of RCF’s Sports Mesh for the lining. They say it isn’t itchy or uncomfortable to sit on like other swim liners. It feels high quality and more durable to me as well, so I oblige. I had always wondered how it would work as a lightweight tank top and thought this little outfit would be a perfect time to try it out. I used my favorite tank pattern, the Piper Tank by Misusu, and scooped out a little extra room under the arms for a beachy look. Then, I used swim knit as binding around the arms and neck. This was a little heavy for the white mesh, but I think it looks pretty cute anyway. The tank is super light and airy and will be perfect in the Florida heat.

Thank you!

Thank you so much to Raspberry Creek Fabrics for having me again this year! We are such big fans of RCF swim fabrics and I love sharing how I use them! Thank you to the hosts, Sew Sophie Lynn and Paisley Roots for hosting. This blog tour is so much fun to see every year and a huge learning tool to those who are starting out sewing with swim.

Thank you for visiting and don’t forget to visit RCF on Instagram and Facebook to enter this week’s exciting giveaways!

Thank you to all of our amazing sewists who are joining us this week!

Hosted by SewSophieLynn and Paisley Roots

Sew Hard of Hearing, I Em Sew Happy, Zaji-Kali Makes, Sewing with CWay

Sew Mary Mac, Lorelei Caroline, Sew With Summer, All My Spare Time

Made By Kates, The Imperfect Sewist, Intensely Distracted, Lovely for Life

Sew Whit Designs, Sew What with Afton, It’s Liesel, Clothed in Vermillion

Kainara Stitches, Stacey Durant, Desert Blooms, That’s Sew Kari

We packed most of our things onto a trailer without knowing when we would get it all back and I was worried about being apart from my machines for too long. When I was asked to join this blog tour, I knew I needed to find a way to keep one of them with me. So, I actually carried my regular machine onto the airplane with me!

I’m so glad I made the decision to keep one machine with me because the holiday season always puts me in a creative mood. While days are shorter and our schedules are full to the brim, I enjoy when I take time out of the hustle-and-bustle to get behind my machines for a little personal time. Even if this is to stitch together gifts or something for my family, I relish in the quiet time alone.

Since I’ll be sewing wovens for the foreseeable future, the Robert Kauffman Mammoth flannel was an easy fabric choice for me. I adore the Robert Kauffman flannels to begin with, but my red-loving boy especially loved this one. While the red and white plaid works perfectly for a traditional Christmas look, I think all the flannel options in the shop would make amazing holiday pjs.

One of my favorite woven patterns for my kids is the Holiday Pajamas by Sew A Little Seam. It is surprisingly quick and the construction of the facing and collar give it a nice, polished finish. The piping is my favorite detail though. I actually love sewing with piping. It adds that professional detail without much extra work. Another favorite detail I love to use when sewing with plaids is to turn cuffs, pockets and yokes on the bias. It adds interest and helps you avoid pattern matching on those smaller pieces. This pattern also comes in women’s sizing and I really think I need a pair to match him.

I hope this holiday season, you find time to slow down and do something you love. Thank you to the RCF girls for inviting me to join in the fun this week! Happy Holidays!

Make sure to visit the Raspberry Creek Blog this week for lots of holiday inspiration and enter the daily giveaways each day on Raspberry Creek’s Instagram.

Today’s makers include myself, Anshu of Meowrantine Sews, Anna of Kainara Stitches, Katie of Made by Kates, and Tami of SewSophieLynn. You can also join in the fun by tagging your instagram makes with #rcfholiday21. It is so much fun to browse the hashtag. RCF really does have the most talented sewists!

I began sewing a long time ago, but the hobby really took off when I found the online sewing community. The biggest player in that was Raspberry Creek and their amazing Facebook group. Back then, they had just a small lobby for picking up and they sold strictly on Etsy.

I still remember the first cuts of fabric I purchased from RCF; a few yards of a striped palm print on board short fabric, a grey shark fin and a darling large tropical leaf print both on jersey. After lots of research in the group on how to use the boardshort fabric, I was introduced to the Linden Shorts by Sew a Little Seam with the free board short add-on pack . This was one of the first pdf patterns I ever used, and to be honest, it was a bit of an undertaking for my skill level. The easy-to-follow instructions led me through the whole pattern though, and I finished 2 pairs in 3 days! Now, years later, I have used this children’s pattern for numerous pairs of board shorts, chambray shorts, simple pull-on woven shorts and even a couple cozy French Terry knit pairs.

In preparation for the new custom printing, I was given the opportunity to choose from the entire Raspberry Creek library and have any design printed on some of almost 20 different bases. The choices seemed endless, but as a throwback to my first RCF orders, I decided on another palm leaf print on two different substrates. I wanted to show the versatility of the print as well as the Linden Shorts pattern.

This pair for my 4-year-old is made with the squishy RCF French Terry. You can find a simple hack to use knits, rather than than a woven fabric, on the Sew a Little Seam blog here. I used the slant pockets and an easy rolled hem.  I cut the full elastic waistband the same length as if I were using woven (as described in the tutorial) so the fabric stays flat rather than gathered. Before sewing the waistband, I added my favorite eyelets to the front center for a cute braided drawstring.

I have had great success with the Dritz 2-part Eyelet Kit. I always grab the pack of 72 sets because with 3 boys in the house, I make a lot of “cozy pants” and hoodies. I like this set because it comes with a small plastic disc that stabilizes the eyelet even when used on very thin fabrics. (Don’t forget to enter the giveaway in the RCF Facebook group to win a set of your own plus all the other favorite notions from the tour.)

When attaching the eyelets, I always add one or two layers of woven interfacing to the wrong side of my fabric. I cut down interfacing scraps to 1″ squares and keep a small container of them with my eyelets. I then cut a slightly smaller hole than the post of the front eyelet piece and work the fabric down around it. I like it to just barely fit so it is nice and snug. Then, place the eyelet right side down onto the circle anvil, add your plastic ring to the wrong side followed by the washer (back piece of eyelet) with the dome side up. Place your tool into the center of the back eyelet and use a straight, solid strike two or three times with a heavy hammer. I then slightly tilt the tool in different directions making sure it forces the sides down as well.

I am a sucker for Mommy & Me outfits, so I chose the same palm print as my son but had it printed on a fabulous Essex Cotton/Linen blend. This linen was absolutely fantastic to sew with. It had very little fraying as I constructed each pattern piece, lots of structure and it held a press perfectly.

I’ve loved the kids version so much, I was excited to finally try out the Women’s Linden pattern for my first time. I love how this linen paired with the pattern! The structure of this fabric is perfect for a pair of shorts. I chose to add the back darts for shaping and dressed them up a bit by omitting back pockets and using a hook and eye front closure.

Many thanks to Raspberry Creek for allowing me to participate in the 2020-21 Promo Team. It has truly been an honor to have a front row seat to all the changes the company has seen and I can’t wait to see what is to come next!

Make sure to visit all the participating blogs this week (Linked below) and enter the daily giveaways in the RCF Facebook group!

Made By Kates, Kainara Stitches, I Sew Best After Midnight

Sew Mary Mac, Tessa Does for Love Notions, Sew Love You

All My Spare Time, Pins and Pinot, Crafty Professor

Sew Hard of Hearing, Replicate then Deviate, Sew Sophie Lynn

Genwin Design Co., Shwin Designs, That’s Sew Kari

Raspberry Creek Fabrics Blog**

We all do it. We see a piece of clothing and the first thought is “I think I could make that.” This is exactly what happened with the inspiration for this dress. I saw a young mom at the pool last summer wearing a white eyelet, 3-tiered maxi dress. It had a small v-neck with binding drawstrings and it looked adorable over her swimsuit. The top half looked exactly like the Rhapsody Blouse by Love Notions. I had just tested the top a few months earlier and knew it would do the job. 

Obviously, Raspberry Creek’s Rayon Challis was the perfect match for this dress. The soft, flowy drape is perfect for ruffles. The light, airy weight will be perfect as it gets hot outside. And, the coral abstract print is so much fun for summer. I love that I didn’t have to focus on stripes or pattern-matching since the variance in shapes hide anything that don’t exactly line up. I intended for this to be a pool-side dress but I really think it will get more wear at BBQs and dinners out. 

I already had a couple Rhapsody tops in my closet, so it was easy for me to try one on and measure exactly where I wanted to cut the bodice off. I chose to cut it at my natural waistline to start, keeping in mind that I’d be able to trim it more before adding the skirt if needed. I eventually cut off another 1” once it was sewn up. I also omitted the back center pleat by placing my center back fold at the same width as the bottom of the yoke piece.

Calculating the tiered skirt:

This technique could be used to add a skirt to the bottom of any woven top. Just keep in mind that the weight of extra fabric could pull on your bodice a bit. Just in case, I reinforced the waist seam with binding around the seam allowance.

First, I tried on the finished bodice and measured from the bottom of it to my desired hem length. Mine came to roughly 38”. I divided this by three tiers and rounded to 12.75”. This is how tall each tier would be before adding seam allowances and the hem.

Then, I measured the circumference of the bottom of the bodice. This was 36” around, or 18” from side seam to side seam. I didn’t want to add too much weight, so I went with a width of 1.5 times the bodice width for a very slight gather. This made my pieces as follows: 

• Tier 1: (cut 2, one for front and one for back)
  • Height: 12.75” (see above) + 0.75” (top and bottom 3/8” seam allowances) = 13.25”
  • Width: 18” (Bodice width) x 1.5 = 27” + 0.75” (side seam allowances) = 27.75”

• Tier 2: (cut 2, one for front and one for back)
  • Height: 13.25” (same as Tier 1)
  • Width: 27” (Tier 1 width) x 1.5 = 40.5” + 0.75” (side seam allowances) = 41.25”

• Tier 3: (cut 2, one for front and one for back)
  • Height: 12.75” (see above) + 0.375” (top 3/8” seam allowance) + 1.375” (1” hem & turn raw edge under) = 14.5”
  • Width: 40.5” (Tier 2 width) x 1.5 = 60.75” + 0.75” (side seam allowances) = 61.5” *I just used the width of fabric, which is listed as 58-60”. If your measurements come out larger than this, you could cut with the length of your fabric or add an extra panel.

Finally, I constructed each tier and then the full skirt before attaching it to the bodice, but you really could choose your favorite method here. I also waited to hem until the very end to be sure the length was correct.

When I make another one (and I definitely plan to), I think I will size down on the bodice. The weight of the fabric pulls the armholes down a bit and the extra ease feels a little boxy . This would not bother me at all if I use it poolside over a swimsuit; but for other uses, I think I’d like it to be a little slimmer on top.

I love this dress and wearing it feels so dreamy. I couldn’t stop swishing and waving the skirt around while I moved. I won’t pretend that cutting rayon challis is quick and easy, but rest assured, you will not regret sticking with it. Raspberry Creek’s Rayon Challis just cannot be beat! It is soft as can be, and so much fun to wear.

I am so happy to join Raspberry Creek Fabrics’ Suit up for Summer Blog Tour this year! Raspberry Creek carries the most amazing swim and board short fabrics. Each year they refresh the shop with an entire new line of prints and this year there are over 50 different prints to choose from! When they begin the design process, RCF coordinates all their available solids to match the color schemes their designers use in the prints. This ensures that you can be confident your coordinates and solids will always match to your primary print. Such a simple but genius idea! They also carry all the linings you need to sew up suits for the whole family including swim lining, power mesh and net and a super soft sports mesh. And the best part? In celebration of the Suit Up for Summer Blog Tour, Raspberry Creek is offering all their new swim prints for 15% off with code SWIMTOUR.

I started with my oldest son’s Ombre Tie Dye Stripe board shorts. I used my tried-and-true Linden Shorts pattern (with the free add-on pack) by Sew a Little Seam. This pattern was the very first board shorts I made my kids and it will always be my favorite. I love the classic look, the slimmer fit and all the available options. This pattern is a work-horse in my collection as it has so many variations and the directions are amazing. It really is a “choose your own adventure” in shorts form.

As a mother of 3 boys, I rarely get the chance to sew up anything pink so I was secretly cheering inside when he chose this gorgeous print. I paired it with a solid black waistband for contrast and I love how it makes the bright colors pop. As always, I used RCF’s sports mesh for the attached interior briefs. Early on, he dubbed it his favorite swimsuit lining, so I always keep it on hand for their suits. I finished off his look with a Jalie Nico Raglan in mostly solid black. I didn’t want to press my luck, but just had to repeat that beautiful bright pink in the neckband.

My youngest son is really into sharks right now and I knew he would love the Shark Fin Stripe print. I also liked that it reflected a similar style stripe to my suit, like a loose version of Mommy & Me swimsuits. For his swimsuit, I used the Lowland Kids Swim Boardies and a sized-down Titchy Threads Rowan Tee in solid royal blue. I used the solid charcoal grey board short fabric for the binding and waistband of his shorts in hopes of calling more attention to the grey shark fins in the print. As with my older son’s rash guard, I couldn’t help but add a splash of brightness with the yellow drawstring and neckband.

For my swimsuit (swim capsule really) I used the Navy Blue and White Tie Dye Stripes and I couldn’t be more excited! After going last summer without sewing any swim attire, I just couldn’t stop myself from adding more pieces as I went along. I love how nautical this print is paired with the solid navy blue. It adds just enough pop for a statement, but not so much that I’m worried about it being too busy when all the pieces are mixed & matched.

I used the Greenstyle Creations Waimea Rash Guard and Swim Bottoms as my starting point. Although the rash guard pattern has a fantastic color blocking option, I opted for the basic version so the stripes could take the spotlight. I paired that with the high-waisted & fold-over waistband options of the swim bottoms pattern. I love the coverage of these and um, can we say POCKETS!? I love this top too. It feels cool to the touch and I think I’ll wear it much more than just for swimming. Since Raspberry Creeks’ swim fabrics have UPF 50+, this rashguard will be a great layering piece with athletic wear as well.

With extra time and little bit of extra fabric on my hands, I decided to add some Venice Beach Shorts also by Greenstyle Creations. I love that I can wear these to and from the beach or pool, but wade right in without worrying if they should be wet or not. These give me the option of a full outfit for kayaking with my kids or just using them as a cover-up to and from the pool. I used the mid-rise option with the contoured waistband and cut them in between the 2.5 & 3.5 inch inseam lines. I did use a double fold binding rather than the single-fold application that the pattern calls for. I also added a narrow elastic to the top seam of the contoured waistband to add extra stability.

Obviously I needed a swim top to go underneath the rash guard. I wanted something on the sporty side, but still with a touch of character. I’ve had a particular suit in my inspiration folder for a couple years now and decided it was just what this suit needed. It would take a little hacking though, so I started with the high neckline, wide-strap bikini top option from the Mairin by Sew a Little Seam. Like the Kid’s Linden shorts, this pattern comes with a ton of different options and combinations. I’ve used it many times as a base for hacking. It’s just so good! I also added a power mesh and swim cups in between the fabric and the lining for a little extra support.

In order to achieve the look of my inspiration, I mashed the Mairin with the beautiful back of the St. Tropez Pattern by Little Lizard King. Every single photo I’ve seen of this back looks fantastic, I just had to give it a try! Instead of attaching the straps behind the main back band, I brought them to the front to amplify the direction of the stripes in my fabric. I’m really happy with how this turned out and it is very comfortable. (Continue below for a rough tutorial of how I constructed it.)

My boys are now ready when it finally warms up and I’m excited to mix and match my pieces all summer long. Depending on the occasion, I’ll have exactly the ones I need. Thank you to Raspberry Creek for gifting me the beautiful fabrics to create all 3 of these swimsuits. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out all the amazingly talented sewists participating in the blog tour this week and all the generous sponsors (linked at the bottom of this post). You’re sure to find the perfect inspiration for sewing with RCF’s fabulous swim fabrics. In addition to the discount on their swim fabrics, Raspberry Creek is also hosting daily giveaways from all the sponsors on their Instagram page.

Mairin/St. Tropez Mash-up Tutorial:

Here, I’ll walk you through the steps I took to mash the front and back together. I totally apologize for the low quality photos, but thought I’d throw them in for the visual learners like myself. I’m realizing that I’m not great at tutorials, but here goes.

You will need to cut: Front of the wide-strap, high neck Mairin bikini top cut 1 of main fabric and 1 of lining. You can also add 1 layer of power mesh if you would like more support. Back band (1 of main fabric and one of lining) and 2 straps from the St. Tropez pattern out of your main fabric. Prepare straps as instructed in the St. Tropez instructions.

To my luck, the side seams of both these suits were very close. I think I may have added a quarter inch or so to the bottom of the front piece. Sew side seams of the lining. Do the same for your main, but sandwich the straps into the side seams, placing them about 1/2″-3/4″ down from the top, leaving room for the side (3/8″) and top (1/4″) seam allowances. You can put them in front or behind the back band depending on your preference. NOTE: I did notice (on this and my muslin) that the bottom of the strap is a little loose. I think next time, I would change the angle a little bit by pulling that extra fabric into the seam allowance more.

I always like to add swim cups to my suits for extra coverage. You can get these from many online sources, but I usually just have a stack of them left behind from various ready-to-wear suits and sports bras. I do the following to place them into the lining.

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Flip your lining inside out and try it on. Place your cups on top of the lining where you would like them to be on your finished suit. Trace the outsides with a marking pen onto the wrong side of the lining. Remove the suit and while sitting down, place the lining over your knee, centering the marking you just made. This will replicate the way your chest stretches the lining and help you place the edges of the cup in the right place. Working one cup at a time, pin your cup to the wrong side of your lining and then use a zig-zag stitch to attach the cup. You may have to adjust and stretch the lining a bit while you sew, but that marking gives you the perfect guide as you go.

Place your lining inside the main with right sides together. Baste them together by starting at the outside top of one strap and sew down the armscye, around the top of the back band and then up the other armscye to the top of the other strap. Place a 1/4″ swim elastic to the wrong side of your main fabric and serge or zig-zag stitch (without stretching) it to the same seam. Remove your basting stitch. Open up the seam and understitch the elastic and seam allowance to the lining side.

Repeat the same steps to the neckline, but this time, you may not be able to under stitch all the way to the top of the strap. That’s ok, just start 2″ or so down from the top of the strap and go as far as your machine will allow to the next strap.

Try on the suit and check to see if the straps need any length taken off. Mark where you would like them to meet the top of the front straps. You may need some help here, this part is a little awkward with only 2 hands. I was using both hands, clips and my teeth. Lol! After marking, slip the top of the back strap inside the top of the front strap and flip the main part of the suit inside out so that you can make a clean shoulder seam. Use a chopstick or tool to make sure everything is flat, flush to the edges and your elastic is folded around correctly so that when you flip it out, everything lays nice and clean. Sew across the ends once or even twice for reinforcement and then trim the seam allowance. Repeat with other side.

Finally, cut a piece of 1/2″ or 3/4″ (what I used) elastic 1/2″ longer than the circumference of the bottom of your suit. Overlap the ends by 1/2″ and secure. Quarter and pin the elastic to the bottom of your top. Serge or Zig-zag stitch the elastic to the inside of your suit. Flip once to the inside, encasing the elastic, and topstitch close to the top of your elastic to secure. Now you’re finished!

Made by Kates  Violet and Jewels  Sweet Mama Life  All Things Katy!

Intensely Distracted  Pins & Pinot  My Heart Will Sew On  The Petite Sewist

All My Spare Time  Kara Metta  Handcrafted by RED  Sincerely, Shantelle

Replicate Then Deviate  That’s Sew Kari  Desert Blooms  Boo + Lu

A huge thank you to our sponsors and don’t forget to check out today’s giveaway!!
Again, you can find the tour on Instagram with the hashtag: #suitupforsummer2021

https://allmysparetimeblog.com/2021/03/raspberry-creek-fabrics-swimsuit-blog-tour/feed/ 12 527 https://allmysparetimeblog.com/2021/03/chambray-kelly-anorak-jacket-with-raspberry-creek-fabrics/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chambray-kelly-anorak-jacket-with-raspberry-creek-fabrics Thu, 04 Mar 2021 08:01:00 +0000 https://allmysparetimeblog.com/?p=977 ***This post also appears on the Raspberry Creek Fabrics Blog***

I’m excited to share my new jacket using Raspberry Creek’s Charcoal Grey Chambray. I have a genuine obsession with this fabric. So much so that I always keep it on-hand because every woven pattern I come across, I contemplate what it would look like in chambray first. This jacket almost didn’t happen though, due to my fear of biting off more than I could chew. I was very intimidated but I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to give it a try.

When it came time for me to choose the fabric for this post, I had a long list of all the gorgeous new spring prints. But, as always, my eyes kept wandering back to the chambrays and I just couldn’t resist. This fabric is 100% cotton, making it perfectly breathable and comfortable to wear. Raspberry Creek’s chambray, in particular, feels fairly lightweight until you sew it up and then it takes on this great structure. It is sturdy enough for a bottom weight yet lightweight enough to wear on top. Sewing with it is fantastic! Even over bulky seams, my needles run right through it. It even holds a press well enough to skip pins for hemming. The raw edges stay crisp and hardly frayed at all throughout the entire process, even with all my shifting and moving it around. It also comes in a beautiful rainbow of colors. Have I convinced you yet?

When this arrived, I started questioning my original plan of making a woven jumpsuit because I really wanted something that packed a punch. I had just come off sewing a bunch of knits and wanted to dive into a more challenging project. I took to Pinterest for some inspiration. Of course I loved everything under my “women’s chambray” search, but a couple lightweight jackets really sealed the deal.

Enter the Kelly Anorak by Closet Core Patterns. This had been on my wishlist for a very long time but I’ve always been intimidated by how extensive the whole thing seemed. On the other hand, I really needed this jacket in chambray and what better time than when I have a quick deadline and only 2 yards on hand? Why am I like this?!

I knew that trying this pattern out for the first time (without a muslin) would be a risk, but if it worked out, it would be well-worth it. I didn’t want to line it and I wasn’t necessarily interested in making it for warmth or weather protection, so I was able to jump right in. I found some heavy duty snaps and the very last zipper left at my local big-box store. It had to be kismet. The pattern has tons of pieces and with every cut, I felt the doubt creeping up. But once I started to sew and take it one step at a time, I settled in and thoroughly enjoyed the process.

Since I didn’t have any room for mistakes, I made sure to label all my pieces well, I double-checked all the steps and even followed the detailed tutorials on the Closet Core Blog. This actually turned out to be the easiest zipper I’ve ever sewn, even with all the layers. My only mistake was that I made 2 left pockets. It happened to be an easy fix, though, since there wasn’t really a wrong or right side to my fabric.

It seems odd to call this a jacket since it’s so lightweight. It almost feels more like a cardigan of sorts, or an extra layer to top-off an outfit or throw over a t-shirt on the way out the door. I love the giant gusseted pockets, the dropped curve hem, and the tall front collar. I used some Riley Blake scraps to finish all my inside seams making it pretty, even when left unzipped.

Yes, this took some extra focus, a couple late nights and more than a few curse words but I am in love! I challenge you to jump into an intimidating project this year. Try something you’ve been putting off because of the work it may take. Bring along your favorite fabric to hold your hand and take it one step at a time together. Who knows, you may come out of it with a new favorite garment.